BRDM 95

chapter 95

Xu Changyou sat in the reception room with his legs crossed.

“Looks like you’re under a lot of stress, Chairman?”

Feng Jinghao’s expression turned icy.

He instinctively understood what had happened.

“A failure, then.”

“I only said one word, yet you can already tell? As expected of the man who managed to outmaneuver old man Lu Wuchen and lead the Committee for over twenty years—your eye for things is razor sharp.”

In that instant, Feng Jinghao’s eyes blazed.

“Ah, right. That old man’s name is taboo in front of you, isn’t it? My apologies.”

But despite the apology, Xu Changyou’s tone dripped with mockery.

Lu Wuchen.

Better known by his epithet, Daozu—the Ancestor of the Way—he was one of China’s top-ranked Awakeners.

And yet, in contrast to his fame, he rarely appeared in public.

After losing his political struggle against Feng Jinghao, he had been virtually placed under house arrest.

Still, since he was a national treasure of sorts—a top-ranked Awakener China boasted of—he couldn’t be entirely purged.

That meant that with the right pretext, he could always be brought back and used to topple Feng Jinghao.

Factional politics under a one-party system made such things possible.

That was why the very name “Lu Wuchen” was a reverse scale to Feng Jinghao—something no one should ever touch.

And yet, Xu Changyou had just done so with ease.

In truth, Feng Jinghao had long dreamt of raising Xu Changyou into a top ranker.

If he had someone to replace Lu Wuchen, he could devalue the old man at will.

And creating a new top ranker under his wing would have only further bolstered Feng Jinghao’s prestige.

But now…

That plan lay in ruins.

To elevate Xu Changyou would require vast amounts of time and resources—resources Feng Jinghao no longer had to spare.

And Xu Changyou himself wasn’t in much better shape.

Yet strangely enough, Xu sat there with the ease of a man who lacked for nothing, crossing his legs the other way.

That carefree attitude irritated Feng Jinghao even more.

“So you’re saying you’ll switch sides now?”

“Of course not. Everyone already knows whose patronage I rely on. If you were ousted, I’d end up like a dog chasing after a chicken that flew off.”

Feng Jinghao glared at him for a long while, but Xu’s sly, foxlike eyes never wavered.

Eyes impossible to read.

In that moment, Feng Jinghao saw a reflection of himself in Xu Changyou.

So this is what I’ve made of him…!

Just as Feng Jinghao had always hidden his true thoughts behind a sharp blade in his heart, Xu too now carried a hidden blade of his own.

For the first time in four years, Xu Changyou no longer seemed like a junior—he looked like a rival.

“……”

Feng Jinghao’s gaze deepened.

Then—

Thud!

He struck the floor hard with his cane, breaking the heavy atmosphere.

There was no point continuing to probe Xu.

Whatever his intentions, the urgent task now was to overcome the crisis at hand.

“So then, what’s your plan? If Jet has risen again, surely he’ll target you first.”

“You think he’ll only target me? He’ll come for you too. To me, he’s a brother-killer seeking vengeance. To you, the man who dismantled Qinglei itself.”

“……”

“Alright, alright. I’ll cut the jokes.”

Xu gave a crooked smile, mocking even as he chuckled.

“I’ll go after him one way or another. It’s a shame my closed-door training was cut short, but it’s not like I came away empty-handed.”

Such confidence.

Feng Jinghao’s eyes glimmered with curiosity.

“So you gained some kind of certainty when you clashed with him?”

“It seems Lee Hyun obtained the Ring of Permafrost.”

“What?”

Feng Jinghao’s face hardened.

The Ring of Permafrost was the key piece in the plan he’d been preparing.

“But you needn’t worry. I’ve already confirmed that I hold the upper hand.”

“……”

“With my authority as the Lord Above, I’ll simply crush him. That makes things easier, actually.”

That “authority” was the divine power granted to Xu Changyou by the Jade Emperor himself—dominion over all elements.

When he had exchanged blows with Lee Hyun, Xu had become convinced of his victory.

The Ring of Permafrost?
The Ogre’s Wrath?

All would prove useless against the cold bolstered by divine authority.

Unlike four years ago, this time he could end Lee Hyun once and for all.

“So when do you plan to go after him? I trust you’ll go in person this time?”

Xu’s smile twisted.

“I’ve no intention of moving right away.”

“…What?”

That was entirely unexpected.

Feng Jinghao’s brow twitched, and Xu’s sneer only deepened.

“As I said—I won’t be moving just yet.”

“What nonsense is this?”

“He said it himself. He’s coming to me.”

“……!?”

“So I’ll wait. Why should I, the executioner, rush when the condemned is walking straight to my blade?”

The hand gripping Feng Jinghao’s cane trembled, his face flushing red.

“Just a moment ago you said you’d end Jet before he could grow any stronger!”

“Yes. And before that happens, he’ll come to me.”

“……!”

“Lee Hyun never fights battles he’s unsure of. He hides himself until he’s certain of victory, and only then does he raise his head like a hunter.”

Xu’s expression glowed with joy as he spoke of him.

Once, they had been the closest of friends and comrades.

“And now he’s finally raised his head. He even showed me his face without hesitation. His words about coming for me aren’t a lie.”

They had once been inseparable, like two halves of a whole.

“And that’s why I won’t go to him. It’s far wiser to prepare thoroughly and wait. Who knows what he might still be hiding?”

But now that friend was his mortal enemy.

The more they knew of each other, the more cautious they had to be.

Or else, the one less prepared would die first.

“……”

Feng Jinghao narrowed his eyes.

The joy twisted with killing intent on Xu’s face revealed how broken he truly was.

He enjoyed the idea of killing his old friend.

“And you, Chairman? What will you do now? Ulleungdo, the destruction of overseas branches… shouldn’t we cooperate more closely? We’re on the same boat, after all.”

That word—cooperate—

Feng Jinghao’s brow twitched again.

A mere hunting dog dares…

The hound he’d brought from Korea was now trying to stand as his equal.

“My affairs are mine to handle. You needn’t concern yourself.”

“Is that so? Well, you are the Chairman—I’m sure you’ll manage just fine.”

Xu shrugged, provoking him further.

A hound should remain a hound—why did this one keep forgetting his place?

“I won’t allow you to just sit here and wait for him.”

“Not allow me?”

Xu’s expression shifted oddly at that.

But Feng Jinghao only lifted his chin arrogantly.

“Yes. Even if your guess is right, we can’t just sit idly. Time is short. The Committee must break through its difficulties now.”

“……”

“Astra has already entered Korea. They’re sniffing out everything beneath the surface and preparing to approach White Burn.”

Xu’s smile deepened.

The more anxious Feng grew, the longer his words became.

Even the great Feng Jinghao was nervous.

“And not only them—the Sons of Zeus, the vultures in India and Russia—they’re all circling, trying to tear chunks of flesh from the Commit—”

“Not the Committee’s flesh. Yours.”

Xu’s cold interjection made Feng’s glare snap.

“What was that?”

“All of these mistakes, all of these failures—they’re your blunders, Chairman. And yet you bundle yourself and the Committee as one? If the higher-ups learned of this, I doubt they’d be pleased.”

“How dare you!!”

CRAAAASH!

Feng’s roar shook the room.

Furniture and windows exploded into splinters under the force of his power.

[Myth: ‘King of the Western Birds’ reveals immense fury!]

Xu felt as though enormous bestial eyes glared down at him from behind Feng Jinghao.

…So he really is formidable.

This was why Feng could dominate the Committee despite rarely appearing in public.

Because his inheritance was none other than Shaohao Jinchuan, one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors—an ancient god said to predate even the Jade Emperor.

The crushing pressure weighed on Xu’s shoulders—

[Myth: ‘Lord of All Things’ grows displeased and sweeps the pressure away!]

BOOM!

“…!?”

Just like that, Xu was freed with ease.

As Feng’s eyes widened, Xu smiled.

“You shouldn’t assume a hound will remain a hound forever.”

“……!!”

“Wouldn’t it be a shame if that hound sank its teeth into your neck?”

His lips curled, flashing sharp fangs like those of a predator.

“…I see. This old man was discourteous. Age always brings the same problem—thinking the world will bend to your will.”

Feng suddenly smiled brightly, as though nothing had happened.

“You joined our great nation by your own will, after all. Perhaps I treated you too much like a child.”

He leaned on his cane and rose.

Xu only smiled back, making no move to rise or see him out.

“Well then, finish your work. We’ll meet again.”

“Yes. Travel safe.”

Feng turned and departed.

The hound has forgotten its place. It doesn’t even realize the leash is still on. Then there’s no helping it—I’ll have to boil it alive.

His departing face revealed nothing.

“Even though his insides must be boiling, he kept that poker face until the end. Truly not an easy old man to deal with.”

Xu chuckled once Feng was gone. His half-lidded eyes gleamed like a snake’s.

“He must have some hidden card of his own. I just can’t figure out what it is yet.”

Standing nearby, Zheng Yijian asked worriedly,

“Will this be alright? Knowing Chairman Feng’s nature, if you’ve defied him, he’ll try to trip you up somehow.”

The split between Feng Jinghao and Xu Changyou—two titans—would surely shake the Committee itself.

“He can barely handle his own problems right now. Still, we should be cautious.”

“Then…”

“You still have old man Lu’s number, right?”

Zheng Yijian’s eyes lit up.

He meant Daozu, Lu Wuchen.

“Yes. I do.”

“When your horse grows old and sick, you must be ready to change mounts. Call him. Invite him for a meal.”

The leader of Pingxin and a top ranker meeting—
That would be quite the sight.

“Yes, sir. I’ll call right away.”

Zheng bowed and left the room, pulling out his phone.

But the number he dialed wasn’t Lu Wuchen’s.

—Elder Feng.

That was the name flashing on his screen.

Lee Hyun returned straight to Seoul after finishing the Ulleungdo operation.

He arranged for the wounded to be sent to the military hospital and returned all the borrowed equipment.

By the time everything was done, night had fallen.

“Ugh… normally after working this hard, I’d have at least a beer.”

Hyun blinked heavily, his eyelids weighted, but he still smiled at his comrades reluctant to part ways.

“Let’s save it for next time. You’re all half-asleep already.”

“Next time? When exactly? Name a day! What if you vanish again?”

“How about next Friday?”

“Friday? Done!”

“That works for me.”

“Me too. I can reschedule.”

“I’ll come as well.”

When Oh Sooheon nodded, the rest all agreed cheerfully.

Kim Minjung asked cautiously,

“What about the members who couldn’t join this operation? Won’t they feel left out later?”

“Of course we’ll invite them. Invite everyone. I’ll cover the whole thing.”

“Pfft! You mean it? No backing out? I heard White Burn’s team leader salary is the highest in the industry—let’s see how much we can squeeze out of you.”

“…Hey, my bonus hasn’t even come in yet!”

Even while bickering with Oh Sooheon, Hyun couldn’t shake a strange feeling.

This gathering would be like a Qinglei reunion, four years in the making.

A Qinglei reunion, huh…

After bidding farewell to his comrades, only Hyun, Go Jinwoo, and Kim Minjung remained.

Jinwoo grinned and asked,

“So? How does it feel to be Jet again?”

“It was fun. Like I’ve just barely crossed the first threshold. The road ahead is long, but…”

When he faced Xu Changyou, Hyun had realized something clearly.

He had finally returned to the starting line.

He still had to run even harder to make up for lost time—
But the most important thing was that he could now see the goal.

He would catch up soon enough.

After all, he had Sun Wukong.
Sha Wujing.
The Pengmawang.

And—

Qinglei.

Which meant after that…

I’ll finally be able to hold my brother’s memorial service properly.

Hyun clenched his fist tight.

Crack.

…Though first, I need to pass Sun Wukong’s disciple trial.

Suppressing his excitement, Hyun brushed back his bangs.

Just because hope was in sight didn’t mean he could relax.

This was the most dangerous moment.

Above all—

There’s something I need to confirm.

He dismissed most of Xu Changyou’s words as nonsense. But strangely, one thing stuck in his throat like a thorn.

“Jinwoo-hyung, can I ask you something?”

“What is it? And where’s that taxi I called—it’s taking forever.”

Jinwoo was scanning the road for his cab to Uijeongbu.

Watching his back, Hyun quietly asked,

“The reason Qinglei was disbanded… was there something I don’t know?”

At that, Jinwoo’s body froze stiff.